Thursday, 24 February 2011

TfL postpones entire Blackfriars consultation following public and media pressure

A reminder of how it used to look and just how difficult this junction
used to be to navigate on a bicycle. Now TfL is planning to make
turn this junction back into a motorway.
Right now. Thanks to citycyclists.org.uk for the image

Just to remind ourselves that this scheme was sent round to interested parties last Friday. And that the consultation was for only one tiny bit of new cycle lane, with responses needed within 72 working hours. Democracy working at its best.

It really is time to keep the pressure mounting on this junction.

What's not clear, though, is what is actually going on. At our meeting with the City of London and TfL on Tuesday, we were told by one politician that Transport for London had railroaded this scheme in fairly last-minute after circulating an original scheme which the City had approved. Whether that's true or not, we can't tell. But it's clear that there's some discord going on.

But we were also told that the entire scheme had been signed and sealed several months ago, possibly as much as a year ago. So how come TfL is suddenly opening up a last-minute consultation on what is, after all, not an insignificant piece of work?

I'm yet to post my own letter to our London Assembly members but will be doing so over the weekend, now that I know I have time to respond in a more considered manner.

In any case, thank you to the dozens of you who have cc'd cyclistsinthecity on your correspondence so far. And thank you to Londonist and to the Guardian for highlighting this insanity after we first flagged it here on Friday night.

Just to recap, if you want to register a complaint about this, I suggest you email relevant London Assembly members including john.biggs@london.gov.uk , jenny.jones@london.gov.uk andvalerie.shawcross@london.gov.uk. You could also add the Mayor mayor@london.gov.uk